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Chapter 2—Scientific Methods in Psychology
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1.Psychology research differs from chemistry research in many ways. What is one way in which they are similar?
A. / They face similar ethical issues.B. / They both need careful measurement.
C. / They have the same problems of getting a representative sample.
D. / They both have to worry that their participants will know they are in an experiment.
ANS:BREF:introductionOBJ:application and understanding
2.The word science derives from a Latin word with which meaning?
A. / knowledgeB. / test
C. / fact
D. / statistics
ANS:AREF:gathering evidenceOBJ:remembering
3.Any scientific study goes through four steps. Which of the following is NOT one of those steps?
A. / hypothesisB. / interpretation
C. / method
D. / proof
ANS:DREF:gathering evidenceOBJ:remembering
4.What is a hypothesis?
A. / a statistical procedureB. / a testable prediction
C. / an established fact
D. / a method of investigation
ANS:BREF:gathering evidenceOBJ:remembering (definition)
5.A testable prediction of what will happen under a specific set of conditions is known as a/an
A. / replication.B. / hypothesis.
C. / demand characteristic.
D. / correlation.
ANS:BREF:gathering evidenceOBJ:remembering (definition)
6.When someone conducts a research study, which of these comes first?
A. / methodsB. / results
C. / interpretation
D. / hypothesis
ANS:DREF:gathering evidenceOBJ:remembering
7.If nearly all investigators can repeat a study and get similar results, the result is
A. / parsimonious.B. / replicable.
C. / falsifiable.
D. / correlational.
ANS:BREF:replicableOBJ:remembering (definition)
8.Which of these must be true if a result is “replicable”?
A. / The results are statistically significant.B. / Other investigators can repeat the results.
C. / The interpretation is consistent with other scientific theories.
D. / The result agrees with common sense.
ANS:BREF:replicableOBJ:remembering (definition)
9.Suppose an unscrupulous researcher made up results and got them published. In the long run, people will not take them seriously, because presumably the false results will not be
A. / parsimonious.B. / replicable.
C. / falsifiable
D. / psychoanalytic.
ANS:BREF:replicableOBJ:application and understanding
10.If competent researchers consistently get similar results whenever they follow a particular procedure, then the results are
A. / replicable.B. / correlational.
C. / representative.
D. / operational.
ANS:AREF:replicableOBJ:remembering
11.An investigator repeats the procedures of another researcher's experiment but obtains different results. Scientists would say that the results of the first experiment were not
A. / correlational.B. / parsimonious.
C. / statistically significant.
D. / replicable.
ANS:DREF:replicableOBJ:application and understanding
12.Which of the following is a highly desirable feature of a scientific study?
A. / selective attritionB. / demand characteristics
C. / replicability
D. / illusory correlation
ANS:CREF:replicableOBJ:application and understanding
13.Which of these refers to the idea that we accept results only if other investigators can repeat them?
A. / determinismB. / parsimony
C. / synesthesia
D. / replicability
ANS:DREF:replicableOBJ:remembering
14.If someone combines results from many studies as if they were one study, what is the outcome?
A. / a meta-analysisB. / a demand characteristic
C. / a standard deviation
D. / a confidence interval
ANS:AREF:replicableOBJ:remembering (definition)
15.Which of the following is a desirable feature of a scientific theory?
A. / The theory simply restates the facts it is supposed to explain.B. / The theory is based on illusory correlations.
C. / The theory makes complex assumptions.
D. / The theory is falsifiable.
ANS:DREF:burden of proof
OBJ:application and understanding
16.What does it mean to say that a theory is “falsifiable”?
A. / Someone has reported evidence that contradicts the theory.B. / We can imagine evidence that would contradict the theory.
C. / The evidence supporting the theory is not replicable.
D. / Most scientists do not agree with the theory.
ANS:BREF:burden of proofOBJ:remembering (definition)
17.To say that a theory is falsifiable is to say that
A. / it is based on results that are not replicable.B. / investigators have replaced it with a more accurate theory.
C. / we can imagine results that would contradict it.
D. / it is so vague that it fits any and all possible results.
ANS:CREF:burden of proofOBJ:remembering (definition)
18.A falsifiable theory
A. / disagrees with known, replicable data.B. / makes clear, unambiguous predictions.
C. / is widely debated and disputed.
D. / has not yet been tested.
ANS:BREF:burden of proofOBJ:remembering
19.If a theory is "falsifiable," then it
A. / makes specific, testable predictions.B. / contradicts other well-established theories.
C. / contradicts common sense.
D. / requires more new assumptions than necessary.
ANS:AREF:burden of proofOBJ:remembering (definition)
20."Falsifiability" is a desirable characteristic for a scientific theory because a falsifiable theory
A. / avoids independent variables.B. / makes clear, testable predictions.
C. / disagrees with common sense.
D. / relies on anecdotal evidence.
ANS:BREF:burden of proofOBJ:remembering
21.Which of the following would NOT be falsifiable?
A. / "Children in day care centers develop about the same as those reared at home."B. / "Dreams are often disguised to hide their true meaning."
C. / "Behaviors followed by reward increase in frequency."
D. / "People find the direction of a sound by comparing the responses of the two ears."
ANS:BREF:burden of proof
OBJ:application and understanding
22.A psychic claims that he can read the minds of people on the planet Zipton, which is millions of light years away. The main scientific objection is that this claim
A. / confuses correlation with causation.B. / ignores the role of demand characteristics.
C. / is based on a negative correlation.
D. / is not falsifiable.
ANS:DREF:burden of proof
OBJ:application and understanding
23.Which of the following do researchers generally regard as desirable?
A. / illusory correlationsB. / selective attrition
C. / demand characteristics
D. / falsifiable theories
ANS:DREF:burden of proof
OBJ:application and understanding
24.In both science and the legal system, the "burden of proof" is on the side that
A. / agrees with common sense.B. / disagrees with common sense.
C. / should find it possible to present convincing evidence, if in fact it is right.
D. / should find it harder to present convincing evidence, if in fact it is right.
ANS:CREF:burden of proof
OBJ:application and understanding
25.In both science and a criminal trial, who has the "burden of proof"—that is, the obligation to demonstrate that their claims are correct?
A. / the side that should be able to produce good evidence, if they are rightB. / the side that has more to lose, if they fail to convince others
C. / the side with more money to spend
D. / the side that is defending the status quo (that is, the current set of beliefs)
ANS:AREF:burden of proof
OBJ:application and understanding
26.In both the U.S. legal system and in scientific disputes, the "burden of proof" falls on
A. / someone who has been accused of doing something wrong.B. / someone who is defending traditional beliefs or values.
C. / someone who is politically unpopular.
D. / someone who should be in the better position to provide convincing evidence.
ANS:DREF:burden of proof
OBJ:application and understanding
27.The legal system requires the prosecution to demonstrate the defendant’s guilt. Similarly, a scientist who makes a claim is expected to provide evidence. What is this obligation called?
A. / demand characteristicB. / correlation coefficient
C. / burden of proof
D. / principle of parsimony
ANS:CREF:burden of proofOBJ:remembering (definition)
28.Scientists’ preference for the theory that makes the fewest unfamiliar or untested assumptions is the principle of
A. / parsimony.B. / statistical significance.
C. / normal distribution.
D. / informed consent.
ANS:AREF:parsimonyOBJ:remembering (definition)
29.If a theory makes only simple assumptions similar to those of other theories that are widely accepted, the new theory is said to be
A. / replicable.B. / correlational.
C. / parsimonious.
D. / reductionistic.
ANS:CREF:parsimonyOBJ:remembering (definition)
30.To determine whether a theory is parsimonious, psychologists pay attention to whether
A. / its assumptions are simple and consistent with those of other theories.B. / the results on which it is based are statistically significant.
C. / it has the potential to lead to practical applications.
D. / investigators have replicated the results on which it is based.
ANS:AREF:parsimonyOBJ:application and understanding
31.According to the principle of parsimony, we should prefer the theory that
A. / is most popular among the population as a whole.B. / makes fewer or simpler assumptions.
C. / fits any data that we could possibly imagine.
D. / relies on anecdotal evidence.
ANS:BREF:parsimonyOBJ:remembering
32.Brittany cannot remember what happened during her psychology class and suggests that aliens from outer space temporarily kidnapped her brain. Her roommate suggests that she slept through class. Most psychologists prefer the “sleep” explanation because it is more
A. / statistical.B. / correlational.
C. / psychoanalytic.
D. / parsimonious.
ANS:DREF:parsimonyOBJ:application and understanding
33.Scientists usually prefer the more "parsimonious" explanation because it is:
A. / based on common sense.B. / more interesting.
C. / based on higher levels of mathematics.
D. / simpler.
ANS:DREF:parsimonyOBJ:application and understanding
34.If someone claims to read other people’s minds though psychic powers, most psychological researchers would seek an explanation that is more
A. / synesthetic.B. / statistical.
C. / parsimonious.
D. / psychodynamic.
ANS:CREF:parsimonyOBJ:application and understanding
35.Who was Clever Hans?
A. / a dog that seemed to speak in German.B. / Clever Gretel's brother.
C. / a horse that seemed to do arithmetic.
D. / a psychic who was popular in the 1930s.
ANS:CREF:Clever HansOBJ:remembering
36.“Clever Hans” appeared able to answer math questions, but only under which conditions?
A. / only if his trainer was presentB. / only if he could see the face of the questioner
C. / only if he could hear the voice of the questioner
D. / only if he could see the objects that he was supposed to count
ANS:BREF:Clever HansOBJ:remembering
37.When Clever Hans appeared to do math, what was he really responding to?
A. / subtle sounds.B. / facial expressions.
C. / brain waves.
D. / magnetic fields.
ANS:BREF:Clever HansOBJ:remembering
38.We find it difficult to accept the idea of a horse doing math because we regard it as
A. / unparsimonious.B. / falsifiable.
C. / replicable.
D. / insignificant.
ANS:AREF:Clever HansOBJ:remembering
39.What was Oskar Pfungst’s evidence that Clever Hans was not doing math?
A. / Hans was correct no more often than we would expect for chance guessing.B. / Hans answered correctly only if the questioner knew the correct answer.
C. / Hans answered correctly only if the questioner made subtle sounds.
D. / Hans answered correctly only if his owner, Mr. von Osten, was present.
ANS:BREF:Clever HansOBJ:remembering
40.When Clever Hans seemed to answer mathematical questions, what was he really responding to?
A. / facial expressionsB. / signals from the person asking the question
C. / subtle sounds that spectators made
D. / extrasensory perception
ANS:AREF:Clever HansOBJ:remembering
41.Clever Hans could answer a question correctly only if he
A. / heard the questioner during the answer.B. / saw his trainer in the background.
C. / saw the questioner during the answer.
D. / had practiced that particular question previously.
ANS:CREF:Clever HansOBJ:remembering
42.How did Clever Hans solve arithmetic problems?
A. / with ESPB. / by taking advantage of coincidence
C. / by watching the examiner for subtle cues
D. / by using his native abilities to do arithmetic
ANS:CREF:Clever HansOBJ:remembering
43.In one word, why did most scientists resist the belief that Clever Hans could do complex mathematics, even before they had a good explanation of what he was actually doing?
A. / parsimonyB. / randomness
C. / statistics
D. / correlation
ANS:AREF:Clever HansOBJ:application and understanding
44.What is an anecdote?
A. / medicine that reverses the effect of a poison.B. / professional psychic.
C. / measurement of the variation in results within a group.
D. / report of a single event or experience.
ANS:DREF:extrasensoryOBJ:remembering (definition)
45.Jane describes a dream she had that came true the next day. This is an example of
A. / an anecdote.B. / an experimental result.
C. / a parsimonious explanation.
D. / a correlational result.
ANS:AREF:extrasensoryOBJ:application and understanding
46.One problem with using anecdotes as evidence for ESP (or for anything else) is that anecdotes are
A. / highly technical.B. / not replicable.
C. / falsifiable.
D. / experimental.
ANS:BREF:extrasensoryOBJ:application and understanding
47."The Amazing Kreskin" demonstrates his powers by finding his paycheck hidden somewhere in the audience. The most parsimonious explanation for this trick is that
A. / he genuinely possesses psychic abilities.B. / he reads subtle cues, much like Clever Hans.
C. / it is a coincidence that he keeps finding his check.
D. / audience members send delta waves that lead him to his check.
ANS:BREF:extrasensoryOBJ:application and understanding
48.When The Amazing Kreskin finds his check hidden in the audience, he uses the same method as
A. / Wilhelm Wundt.B. / Clever Hans.
C. / Oskar Pfungst.
D. / Mary Calkins.
ANS:BREF:extrasensoryOBJ:application and understanding
49.A proponent of ESP claims that ESP shows up only when the vibrations are right and that there is no way to know whether the vibrations are right except to see whether ESP shows up. What is wrong with this theory from a scientific standpoint?
A. / It relies too heavily on operational definitions.B. / It relies too heavily on negative correlations.
C. / It is not falsifiable.
D. / It has too many dependent variables.
ANS:CREF:extrasensoryOBJ:application and understanding
50.One of the main objections raised against ESP is that
A. / the theory of ESP is falsifiable.B. / the experiments that reportedly produced positive results have not been replicable.
C. / the claims for it are based entirely on anecdotes.
D. / none of the experiments on ESP has produced statistically significant results.
ANS:BREF:extrasensoryOBJ:remembering
51.Two serious objections to claims of extrasensory perception are that the explanations are not ______and that the results are not ______.
A. / parsimonious...replicableB. / statistical...correlational
C. / significant...independent
D. / double-blind...random
ANS:AREF:extrasensoryOBJ:remembering
52.An operational definition is a definition that
A. / explains where the term came from.B. / describes the underlying cause of something.
C. / gives synonyms or antonyms.
D. / tells us how to produce or measure something.
ANS:DREF:operational defOBJ:remembering (definition)
53.The benefit of using an operational definition is that it
A. / provides a compromise between competing viewpoints.B. / explains what the term means to the average person.
C. / enables investigators to measure a phenomenon.
D. / offers a theoretical explanation of the causes of a phenomenon.
ANS:CREF:operational def
OBJ:application and understanding
54.Which of the following is an operational definition of "grief"?
A. / synonym for bereavementB. / a feeling of sadness and loneliness
C. / the consequence of the loss of a loved one
D. / the number of tears shed per day
ANS:DREF:operational def
OBJ:application and understanding
55.Which of the following is an operational definition of "anxiety"?
A. / a vague sensation that "something dangerous might happen"B. / an experience like fear, but more prolonged
C. / the amount of muscle tension after hearing a loud noise
D. / the opposite of relaxation
ANS:CREF:operational def
OBJ:application and understanding
56.Which of the following is an operational definition of "confusion"?
A. / an unpleasant feeling of not understanding somethingB. / the result of receiving several kinds of contradictory information
C. / the opposite of "decisiveness"
D. / number of seconds delay before answering a question
ANS:DREF:operational def
OBJ:application and understanding
57.Which of the following could be an operational definition of "curiosity"?
A. / the mental activity experienced by a child in the presence of brightly colored objectsB. / the number of unassigned books that someone reads during a month
C. / discomfort provoked by recognizing that one does not understand something
D. / a desire to gain knowledge for its own sake
ANS:BREF:operational def
OBJ:application and understanding
58.Which of the following could be an operational definition of “politeness”?
A. / an effort to treat other people with respect and dignityB. / the opposite of rudeness
C. / a set of customs taught by one’s cultue
D. / the percentage of someone’s statements that include the word “please”
ANS:DREF:operational def
OBJ:application and understanding
59.Which of the following could be an operational definition of “conscientiousness”?
A. / an effort to live up to the obligations one has acceptedB. / a lack of spontaneous or surprising behavior
C. / the number of times someone shows up on time for classes and appointments
D. / the outcome of a strict and demanding style of parenting
ANS:CREF:operational def
OBJ:application and understanding
60.Which of the following could be an operational definition of “sense of humor”?
A. / the ability to enjoy amusing eventsB. / the number of times someone makes other people laugh
C. / the ability to fight off depression by seeing events in a different light
D. / the opposite of being “too serious”
ANS:BREF:operational def
OBJ:application and understanding
61.Which of the following is an operational definition of “good color vision”?
A. / how quicly someone can find 25 red and green dots on a gray backgroundB. / the ability to perceive the difference between one color and another
C. / the results of having three types of cone in the retina
D. / the ability to describe colors to another person
ANS:AREF:operational def
OBJ:application and understanding
62.Which of the following is an operational definition of “high self esteem”?
A. / thinking highly of yourself and your abilitiesB. / tending to remain confident in the face of setbacks and disappointments
C. / the opposite of depression
D. / how frequently you describe yourself in ways that other people rate as favorable
ANS:DREF:operational def
OBJ:application and understanding
63.Which of the following is true of a convenience sample?
A. / It is representative of the population.B. / Every individual in the population has an equal chance of being selected.
C. / People are chosen just because they are available or easy to study.
D. / The mean for this sample is probably the same as for the whole population.
ANS:CREF:samplesOBJ:remembering (definition)
64.Suppose you conduct a survey, interviewing every fourth person who enters a certain fast-food restaurant. What kind of sample is this?
A. / randomB. / representative
C. / convenience
D. / cross-cultural
ANS:CREF:samplesOBJ:application and understanding
65.A survey on the Internet lets anyone answer it. What kind of sample will probably result?
A. / representative sampleB. / convenience sample
C. / random sample
D. / total population sample
ANS:BREF:samplesOBJ:application and understanding